www.uwe.ac.uk/education
PGCE Secondary History
This is a highly practical and focused training for Secondary age range (11-18+)
teacher training with assessment in two Key Stages. Like all of the UWE Secondary
PGCE subjects we stress the importance of individual needs analysis and supported
self-development. This is a popular, highly rated, and demanding course. We will
support you in becoming a reflective, positive and self critical professional as you
work towards completing the Secretary of State’s Standards for QTS. The course
places a strong emphasis on teaching for engagement, achievement and inclusion.
Working with a wide network of experienced mentors across all of the counties of
South West England and South Wales we work with a wide variety of schools and
colleges to offer placements and a rich experience of different teaching and learning
styles.
Developing Your Specialist Subject Knowledge
You will be expected to continue to build your subject knowledge during your career,
and this process should start in earnest as soon as you decide to apply to train as a
teacher of History. We will offer you the chance to extend and stretch your
knowledge in subject studies sessions, and require all History trainees to present a
‘Master Class’ for their peers. This will involve teaching the others for around twenty
minutes, at degree level, and on a topic familiar to you from the topics covered
between Key Stage Three and Advanced Level. Support materials must be
produced for this which we can load onto the internet for others to access, and you
will be able to access the work of this and previous year’s trainees. Later in the
course you will be expected to produce briefings on two less familiar subjects.
Diversity and Differentiation
The University and school/college based course tutors value a pro-active, broad
based and creative approach to History teaching with personal and collective
development, raising achievement, and enthusiasm and enjoyment of the subject
are central focus points of the programme.
A willingness to use a variety of approaches to differentiation and learning are
important aspects of the training, for example sessions on planning and carrying out
fieldwork, using sound and music, drama and roleplay, artefacts and other primary
sources are built into the programme, and you will be encouraged to develop
strategies for using these approaches as your experience and confidence build. We
will also look at the fundamentals of how to create classroom activities, approaching
differentiation, and working with the less and more able.
ICT is a very strong feature of the course, with very high quality resources available
and dedicated History content and ICT technique based workshops as part of the
programme. You should expect to push the limits of the technology and stretch your
own skills.
www.uwe.ac.uk/education
There is a strong emphasis on ‘education beyond the traditional confines,’ and we
value our strong links with national and regional Museums Archives and Galleries as
a central element of the course. We offer day sessions and optional residential
fieldwork with a view to examining use of heritage sites, museums and the
landscape with young people. There will be visits to the British Empire and
Commonwealth Museum, Bristol City Museums and the Imperial War Museum,
London, the National Monuments Record and the National Trust as well as input
from colleagues in the Education Departments of the local Museums. The course
ends with a session supporting hundreds of school pupils at Chepstow Castle- with
the entire Art and Design, Design and Technology and History groups in costume
and in role.
Placements
During the year trainees spend 24 weeks on placement, which could be in Bristol, as
far south as Southern Cornwall, as far east as Reading or south east into Dorset,
north into Gloucestershire or west into South Wales. A small number of trainees
spend the final weeks of their training based in special schools, museum education
departments or ICT centres- ask us about this innovative and stretching opportunity
to explore History education in a different setting. Twelve weeks are spent in
university based training mainly planned across the Autumn and Spring terms.
Access to a computer during the entire training process is important since many of
the documents, elements of Tutor support and guidance and other communication
will be electronically transferred via email, other ICT systems, or within the
University’s electronic resources. Access to computer workstations at the University
and whilst in host placements can be provided for trainees who do not own a
desktop or portable computer of their own, and the University has a scheme for
computer purchase at favourable rates for those who wish to buy hardware.
Preparing For Training
Prior to the start of your course applicants who have been offered and have
accepted a place receive a ‘welcome pack’ to help them prepare for what is a
demanding but stretching and hugely enjoyable year. The Group Tutor will also
make e-mail contact with the group during the term before the course begins to offer
guidance on preparation.
The Secondary History curriculum ranges from 1066 to the present and all trainees
acknowledge that developing their subject knowledge is a major demand during
training (and after.) Our reading list provides some book titles which might help you
develop your historical knowledge, and you should begin this process as soon as
possible.
We advise all potential trainees to spend as much time as they can observing
classes in a range of mainstream state schools to familiarise themselves with the
nature of young people and schools. As soon as you are ready for it we will provide
a briefing on the History Curriculum at Secondary School/College level; guidance for
finding out about the History curriculum in more depth; a detailed reading list and
further advice on guided reading.
Dean Smart (PGCE History Tutor)
E-mail: Dean.Smart@uwe.ac.uk
Tel: 0117 328 4203 UWE
07515283572 M